MSG's Sabre Games: No Cable Needed Next Season

[That Aud Smell]

11 minutes ago, inkman said:

$30 a month used to be the start up pricing for Spectrum.  Then by month 12 you are paying upwards of $200 with the package I want.  

Yeah that checks out. When I canceled years ago (5? More?), I recall trying to haggle down a $140 line item for the cable piece. That’s almost certainly $200 now. So a few months of $30 seems acceptable. We’ll see.

Does Sling package MSG?

[Taro T]

21 minutes ago, inkman said:

I’ve read a lot of people commenting on picture quality in this thread.  Outside of pirate streams and AHL TV, are there issues. With the quality of your picture?  I’ve used every streaming platform known to man and rarely if ever have picture quality issues.  Even the pirate stuff with porn ads and ***** pills all over the screen.  

$30 a month used to be the start up pricing for Spectrum.  Then by month 12 you are paying upwards of $200 with the package I want.  

Have adjusted the settings on the laptop connected to our fancy TV and the quality is better.  Can still tell a difference between satellite and a stream but it isn't nearly as pronounced.  (ESPN+ used to be roughly the same quality as AHL TV.  That isn't the case now that some adjustments have been made.)

[LTS]

On 7/12/2023 at 5:23 PM, Taro T said:

Have adjusted the settings on the laptop connected to our fancy TV and the quality is better.  Can still tell a difference between satellite and a stream but it isn't nearly as pronounced.  (ESPN+ used to be roughly the same quality as AHL TV.  That isn't the case now that some adjustments have been made.)

You shouldn't really notice the difference.  Unless a programmer is creating a different broadcast just for streaming they all conform to the ATSC standard for their output: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ATSC_standards

This only supports 1080i and 720p.  After that you are dependent upon the devices receiving the digital transmission and how good its upscaling chipset/algorithm is. Generally speaking computers do not even bother because they expect you to be using monitors that are a set resolution.  Televisions have to support various resolutions and so have better chipsets.  Of course with satellite or cable the set-top box might also upscale which then negates your TVs upscaling (if the STB outputs 4k then the TV doesn't engage the upscaling).

All kinds of fun in there.  It's why ATSC 3.0 has such hype.. - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ATSC_3.0

It supports closer to the standards of today and things like Netflix and Disney+ enjoy.  4k, HDR, etc.

I think $29.99 per month is steep, but Fubo is $89.99 and I only really watched the Sabres.  So it's cheaper overall. ESPN will have a stand alone service soon as well. No set price yet, but they'll likely see a lot of subs.  The days of bundled TV are just about over.  Everyone wanted a la carte and now they are going to get it.

[Taro T]

9 minutes ago, LTS said:

You shouldn't really notice the difference.  Unless a programmer is creating a different broadcast just for streaming they all conform to the ATSC standard for their output: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ATSC_standards

This only supports 1080i and 720p.  After that you are dependent upon the devices receiving the digital transmission and how good its upscaling chipset/algorithm is. Generally speaking computers do not even bother because they expect you to be using monitors that are a set resolution.  Televisions have to support various resolutions and so have better chipsets.  Of course with satellite or cable the set-top box might also upscale which then negates your TVs upscaling (if the STB outputs 4k then the TV doesn't engage the upscaling).

All kinds of fun in there.  It's why ATSC 3.0 has such hype.. - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ATSC_3.0

It supports closer to the standards of today and things like Netflix and Disney+ enjoy.  4k, HDR, etc.

I think $29.99 per month is steep, but Fubo is $89.99 and I only really watched the Sabres.  So it's cheaper overall. ESPN will have a stand alone service soon as well. No set price yet, but they'll likely see a lot of subs.  The days of bundled TV are just about over.  Everyone wanted a la carte and now they are going to get it.

No doubt we shouldn't.  But sometimes we still do.  

Like mentioned above, have adjusted some of the video settings on the laptop and the quality of streaming is much better.

[That Aud Smell]

Fwiw. A credible prediction, imo.

 

[Porous Five Hole]

For comparison sake, Vegas is giving a much better deal to watch the Knights than MSG Go. 

[WhenWillItEnd66]

As long as ESPN + is still good to go i am happy! MSG and xfinity still fighting after 2 years of no Devils, Rangers and Isles games. Which means, i cannot watch the home opener against the Rags! Greedy damn companies!!! I am already paying 270 a month for cable and internet!!! WTH!! 

[That Aud Smell]

14 minutes ago, Porous Five Hole said:

For comparison sake, Vegas is giving a much better deal to watch the Knights than MSG Go. 

Is MSG more expensive because you have to pay for other team’s games? (Is it the Knicks?)

[Porous Five Hole]

23 minutes ago, That Aud Smell said:

Is MSG more expensive because you have to pay for other team’s games? (Is it the Knicks?)

I don’t think so.  The Buff News said individual Sabres or Knicks games can be streamed for $9.99 or a monthly cost of $29.99 or an annual fee of $309.99. 

[That Aud Smell]

39 minutes ago, Porous Five Hole said:

I don’t think so.  The Buff News said individual Sabres or Knicks games can be streamed for $9.99 or a monthly cost of $29.99 or an annual fee of $309.99. 

I recall reading/hearing that a streaming subscription would entitle you to watch all games that you would see in your area if you had MSG via cable. Otherwise, the price disparity with Las Vegas is really odd.

[That Aud Smell]

That is to say: There's no sign up to see the Sabres, per se. There's a sign up to get access to MSG+. And back when I did have MSG via cable, I got all the Knick games as well. I think that'd still be the case (?) with MSG+ (although I am not sure how that works for single game purchases (?)).

[Radar]

1 hour ago, Stormcloudmember66 said:

As long as ESPN + is still good to go i am happy! MSG and xfinity still fighting after 2 years of no Devils, Rangers and Isles games. Which means, i cannot watch the home opener against the Rags! Greedy damn companies!!! I am already paying 270 a month for cable and internet!!! WTH!! 

Wow! That's over $100 a month more than I'm paying for internet and cable. I get Spectrum cable and internet for $160/monthly.

[shrader]

2 hours ago, Porous Five Hole said:

For comparison sake, Vegas is giving a much better deal to watch the Knights than MSG Go. 

Of course Vegas goes with that theme in their pricing.

[Drag0nDan]

4 hours ago, Stormcloudmember66 said:

As long as ESPN + is still good to go i am happy! MSG and xfinity still fighting after 2 years of no Devils, Rangers and Isles games. Which means, i cannot watch the home opener against the Rags! Greedy damn companies!!! I am already paying 270 a month for cable and internet!!! WTH!! 

I'm a guardians fan, even with the MLB package i wouldn't get their games as i'm "in market".  

I have the 2nd highest fios package for channels (because i wanted MSG), and i don't even know what channel i would need or if its on the highest package.  

[That Aud Smell]

18 minutes ago, Drag0nDan said:

I have the 2nd highest fios package for channels (because i wanted MSG), and i don't even know what channel i would need or if its on the highest package.  

What is referred to as "it" here?

[inkman]

So I may not have Direct Tv stream anymore (it looks like my BIL login is no longer present ☹️).  Is the MSG+ app available through Roku?  God I hate getting old.  (Yes I’ll check when I get home but I have anxiety about stuff like this) 

[That Aud Smell]

10 minutes ago, inkman said:

So I may not have Direct Tv stream anymore (it looks like my BIL login is no longer present ☹️).  Is the MSG+ app available through Roku?  God I hate getting old.  (Yes I’ll check when I get home but I have anxiety about stuff like this) 

Yeah - you should be able to load MSG+ onto your Roku's apps as you would any other streaming app.

Waaaaaaiiit a second.

 

Hmm. I'm going to have to look into this, turns out.

[LabattBlue]

I was really hoping for a discounted season rate if signing up between now and the start of the season, but alas, does not seem to be in the cards. 
 

I guess that means another year of Spectrum for this WNY’er, instead of a switch to YTTV. 😞

[Norcal]

Did I read correctly that after you have the app and have paid $300 you hafta log in using your tv provider?? 

Isn't that the reason to buy the streaming app? 

 

 

[That Aud Smell]

Just now, Norcal said:

Did I read correctly that after you have the app and have paid $300 you hafta log in using your tv provider?? 

Isn't that the reason to buy the streaming app? 

That can't be right. 😬

fwiw, from that same reddit thread:

 

[That Aud Smell]

4 minutes ago, Norcal said:

Did I read correctly that after you have the app and have paid $300 you hafta log in using your tv provider?? 

Isn't that the reason to buy the streaming app? 

This link clears up that confusion

https://support.msgplus.tv/Answer/Detail/000001489

The idea here is two-fold: (1) If you have MSG through your cable provider, you can use MSG+ as well as a sort of added bonus (watching on your iPad when you're on the road, etc.). (2) If you do not have MSG through a cable provider, then you're paying the separate subscription fee ($30/month).

[Norcal]

8 minutes ago, That Aud Smell said:

This link clears up that confusion

https://support.msgplus.tv/Answer/Detail/000001489

The idea here is two-fold: (1) If you have MSG through your cable provider, you can use MSG+ as well as a sort of added bonus (watching on your iPad when you're on the road, etc.). (2) If you do not have MSG through a cable provider, then you're paying the separate subscription fee ($30/month).

Thanks for that. I was a little confused.

[PerreaultForever]

Wow, something in Canada (besides maple syrup) that is cheaper in Canada than the U.S.   Sportsnet + costs me $200/year Canadian and I get every team and every game. I always thought we overpaid for services up here. Guess not. 

(NFL football on the other hand is crap up here unless you still have cable tv)

[Drag0nDan]

1 hour ago, That Aud Smell said:

What is referred to as "it" here?

Whatever channel is needed to watch the guardians.  I've just given up on baseball the last few years because I can't watch my team even if i wanted to pay for it.  

[inkman]

So I gotta hdmi my laptop to my tv?  If that’s the case I’ll just stream some forbidden site for free.  These schmucks cannot get out of their own way.  WTF are they doing?